Showing posts with label Gov Patrick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gov Patrick. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Governor Patrick visits the Franklin Food Pantry (photo recap)

Before taking the trip to the White House, Erin Lynch welcomed Governor Patrick and others to the Food Pantry when they visited Franklin in an event coordinated by Representative Jeffrey Roy.

Erin explaining the Healthy Futures room at the Franklin Food Pantry
Erin explaining the Healthy Futures room at the Franklin Food Pantry

Board of Directors Chairman Chris Feeley makes a point
Board of Directors Chairman, Chris Feeley makes a point for Governor Patrick
and GBFB Executive Director Catherine D'Amato

Dan Robert, FHS Youth Community Involvement Club with the Governor and Erin
Dan Robert, FHS Youth Community Involvement Club with the Governor and Erin

The opportunities to share the work the Food Pantry does with local and national government officials is priceless.


Additional photos from the visit to Franklin can be found on Representative Roy's Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.333448080113071.1073741928.197484223709458&type=1

#gbfb  #healthyfutures #letsmove


This was originally posted to the Franklin Food Pantry page here:


Saturday, June 25, 2011

Statement From Secretary Jay Gonzalez Regarding Interim Budget



STATEMENT FROM SECRETARY JAY GONZALEZ

Governor Patrick filed an interim budget of $1.25 billion today to ensure that state government has the means to continue providing critical services through July 10, 2011. This funding will ensure that core services such as health care payments to providers for services to children, families, unemployed adults, and the disabled as well as cash assistance for low-income families and seniors did not run out. This interim budget will also fund emergency and first response services including State Police operations, and will provide funding for state obligations for debt service which must be paid early in FY12. We remain hopeful that the Legislature will be able to resolve their differences and submit the FY12 budget to Governor Patrick for review within the next few days.



Alex Zaroulis
Director of Communications
Executive Office for Administration and Finance
State House, Room 373
Boston, MA 02133

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

FY2012 Local Aid Proposals


The FY2012 local aid estimates based on Governor Deval Patrick's budget proposal have been posted to the Division of Local Services' web site at the link below:
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=dorsubtopic&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Local+Officials&L2=Municipal+Data+and+Financial+Management&L3=Cherry+Sheets&L4=FY2012+Cherry+Sheets&sid=Ador

The Governor's budget proposal recommends funding FY2012 Chapter 70 at $3.990 billion or $139.3 million higher than FY2011.  The Governor's budget also recommends reducing Unrestricted General Government Aid by $65 million to $834.0 million in FY2012.  Most other cherry sheet accounts are funded at the FY2011 level.
Please be advised that these estimates are based on the appropriation levels appearing in the Governor's FY2012 budget proposal (House 1) and may change as the legislative process unfolds and proposed appropriation levels change.
Please note that Charter School and School Choice assessments may change significantly when updated to reflect spring enrollment data and final tuition rates.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) has published the Chapter 70 aid calculations, minimum contributions and net school spending requirements on the Office of School Finance website at:
 http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/chapter70/chapter_12p.html
To review additional information about how the estimates were determined and what may cause them to change in the future, click on the link at the bottom for an index of the FY2012 programs and links to individual explanations.
If you have questions about these estimates please call Lisa Juszkiewicz at (617) 626-2386, or Jared Curtis at (617) 626-2320.


From the MA DLS email

Friday, January 21, 2011

Patrick proposes $65M local aid cut in Mass.

Hey, when the numbers and details on the Governors proposed budget comes out Jan 26th, we'll be able to see what it looks like and begin to understand how realistically the chance is that the Legislature will be providing the relief - there may be hope down the road.

Why not help now?
The Legislature has to act real soon to get something enacted to help this budget cycle. Then it has to go to the communities for them to incorporate into their business. Franklin has 13 unions, the current contract negotiations have been underway for some time. A couple have already reached agreement. How close the others are is not publicly known yet. It might very well be the next cycle that this would have an effect.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by Glen Johnson on 1/21/11

Gov. Deval Patrick told Massachusetts city and town leaders today he will cut some of their local aid in the fiscal 2012 budget he proposes next week, but attempt to offset the reduction with legislation granting them long-sought power to trim municipal employee health insurance costs.

Things you can do from here:

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

In the News - pension reform

Given the extended discussion during the Budget Workshop held a week ago, this editorial is timely:

Editorial: Next steps on pension reform

from Wicked Local Franklin News RSS







Saturday, January 30, 2010

Gov Patrick's budget for FY 2011

Gov Patrick released his budget on time. The budget home page can be found here:

The full process steps starting with the release of the Governor's budget can be found here

There is a budget guide to read about how to find out what you want to know. The guide can be found here

The home page for the FY 2011 budget can be found here

Respectfully, this is a whole lot of good information.

What does it mean for Franklin? 
The key dollars for the Franklin budget comes in the Local Aid section

The totals for FY 2011 proposed by Governor Patrick are:

Municipality
     Chapter 70
 Unrestricted
General
 Government
Aid

FRANKLIN      $28,371,695         $2,177,055

This totals to $30,548, 750 which is $852,318 less than the $31,401,068 Franklin received for FY 2010.

What does this mean? Too earlier to tell. This is only the first step in the long State budget process. It is not good that we are starting with less than last year. I don't think it likely that either the House or Senate will increase what the Governor has already proposed, but that is my two cents.

What comes next?
  • The House Ways and Means Committee reviews the Governor's budget and then develops its own recommendation.
  • Individual representatives submit budget amendments which are then debated on the House floor.  Once debated, amended and voted on by the full House, it becomes the final House budget bill and moves to the Senate.
  • The Senate Ways & Means Committee reviews both the Governor's and House budgets and develops its own recommendation.
  • Individual representatives submit budget amendments which are then debated on the Senate floor.  Once debated, amended and voted on, it becomes the final Senate's budget bill.
  • State Finance law requires the Governor to submit budget revisions to his proposed budget if revenue forecasts predict a shortfall after the original submission.
  • House and Senate leadership assign members to a "conference committee" to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate bills. The conference committee report can only be approved or rejected - no additional amendments can be made.
  • Once approved by both chambers of the Legislature, the Governor has ten days to review it. The Governor may approve or veto the entire budget, or may veto or reduce particular line items or sections, but may not add anything.
  • The House and Senate may vote to override the Governor's vetoes. Overrides require a two-thirds roll-call vote in each chamber.
  • The final budget is also known as the General Appropriations Act (GAA) or "Chapter xxx of the Acts of 2010."
All of this should happen by June 30th in order to start the fiscal year on July 1.


Stay tuned in to the budget discussions. 

Franklin has a similar process. Each department prepares their budget. It is reviewed by the Town Administrator and presented to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee hold public hearings to review, adjust and recommend a budget to the Town Council. The Town Council holds budget hearing to solicit input from any interested Franklin residents before voting on a budget. Franklin also needs to pass a budget to begin operations on the new fiscal year July 1.


Sunday, January 24, 2010

Diversity in the state legislature?

Despite an executive branch headed by the state's first black governor, no one keeps track of the racial makeup of the Legislature's work force - not the state Human Resources Division nor any central office in the House or Senate.

Lawmakers can hire whomever they want, however they want, and since they exempted themselves from the public record law years ago, they don't have to tell anyone.

Only 18 of 200 elected officials agreed to provide information on their staffers' race, age and gender to The Patriot Ledger.

Reached last week, no MetroWest legislator, with the exception of state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, responded to the Daily News' request for information regarding staff demographics. Some offices did not return calls. Other offices referred the News directly to the House Speaker's office. Other offices referred the News to the Legislature's human resources department, which then referred a reporter to the House Speaker's office.
------

Affirmative action - a hiring policy that encourages minorities to apply for jobs where they are underrepresented - was a phrase first used by President John F. Kennedy nearly 50 years ago. In the years that followed, it was the basis for federal equal opportunity hiring regulations that states, cities and towns had to follow, or risk losing federal aid.

But the same rules affecting all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts and more than 50,000 state employees don't apply to lawmakers, their employees or committee staffs.

Read the full and rather interesting report on this disconnect created by the legislature in the Milford Daily News here


Friday, January 22, 2010

More from Gov Patrick of interest to Franklin Matters

Friday, Governor Patrick attended the Massachusetts Municipal Association Annual Meeting and outlined proposals including municipal pension relief, a limited early retirement incentive program and a new Green Communities grant program to encourage development of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to relieve local budgets “The Lieutenant Governor and I value the partnership we have built with local officials across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Patrick. “This relationship has allowed us to work collaboratively to bring real change to the way local government provides for the residents of the Commonwealth. The tools we introduce today, coupled with the changes we have already made, will allow us to provide key services in communities today, while reducing local pressure on the property tax.” Learn more here.
 The full recap of the Governor's activities on Friday, Jan 22 can be found here



What matters for Franklin

Having listened to the Governor's State of the Commonwealth, these sections I think are what matters most for Franklin.

In a time of dwindling state revenue, we funded public schools at the highest level in history.  In the budget I file next week, I will propose to do it again by fully funding the education budget through Chapter 70 next year, so that no school will see a cut in state support.  But because schools need innovation as well as money in order to be great, we made law and history this week by signing an education reform bill that will put a great school within reach of every child in every corner of this Commonwealth.  We made it personal.  Thank you.
....

We, all of us, have worked together to give local communities new tools to cut costs and raise revenues, to regionalize more municipal services.  But I will not be satisfied until we find a way to bring property taxes down.
....

... these young people did not sit around wondering and worrying what to do and who was going to do it.  They didn’t accept that they were powerless.  They saw a need and met it, and found power in service itself.  And through that not only have they inspired me and many others, but they have built a better, stronger Commonwealth.

Brick by brick. Block by block. Neighborhood by neighborhood. Town by town.  That is what each of us must do.  That is who each of us must be.  That is the opportunity this crisis presents.  If we seize it, I am certain our best days lie ahead.


The full text of the speech is available here and here



Thursday, January 21, 2010

The text of Gov Deval Patrick's State of the Commonwealth

Address as delivered
Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.

Madame President – there we go – Mr. Speaker, and all of the Members of the House and Senate, Lieutenant Governor, Fellow Constitutional Officers, and Members of the Cabinet, to the Members of the Honorable Judiciary, Congressman and Mrs. Capuano, Mayor Menino and other municipal leaders, Reverend Clergy, Distinguished Guests, and above all, to the People of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

I want to first acknowledge and thank my First Lady and yours, Diane Patrick. You should all know that Diane has done marvelous work around the Commonwealth on domestic violence issues. And Diane, I think people have come to be almost as grateful to have you in their lives as I am to have you in mine.

I want you all to please join Diane and me in thanking the men and women of Massachusetts who serve in the United States military – and their families. We are every one of us in their debt.

Special thanks to Pastor Laguerre, who joins us tonight for the invocation. We pray with you for the rescue of the Haitian people, for comfort for their families and friends here in the Commonwealth, for strength for the relief workers from Massachusetts who are on the ground now in Haiti, and for blessings for all of the good people of this Commonwealth who have offered support to the victims.

I want to commend all three candidates in the special election for a spirited campaign – Attorney General, thank you for being here tonight.  And I want to congratulate United States Senator-elect Scott Brown. I spoke to Scott on election night and again this afternoon, and we pledged to work together, as I do with the whole delegation, on behalf of the best interests of the people of the Commonwealth. The best news is that – even on a cold, snowy day in January, for an out-of-cycle election – the voters came out in force and engaged in their democracy. At a time when many feel powerless, people reminded themselves and us that they have all the power they need to make all the change they want.  That’s good news.

Three years ago when I took the oath of office on the steps just outside this building, I described a vision for a better, stronger Commonwealth.  I talked about good jobs at good wages all across the state, a great school in every neighborhood, and citizens with a renewed sense of community, where each of us sees the stake we have in each other's dreams and struggles.

I knew the challenges before us, and acknowledged them. Young people were leaving our state.  There was no real plan for job growth.  Our public schools were too often failing poor children.  Our roads and bridges were broken.  Health care reform had passed, but had not been implemented.  And the culture of Beacon Hill, with due respect, was famously resistant to outsiders and to change.

We chose to confront these challenges, not because it was politically expedient or popular, and certainly not because it was easy.  But because we understood the stake we each have in each other; because people need not big or small government, for its own sake, but good government; and because confronting these challenges was the only way to build a better, stronger Commonwealth.

Our task was made harder by bumps along the road - some of my own making I acknowledge, others left behind by predecessors, but most the result of a global economic collapse that no one foresaw and few living have ever experienced.  The economic meltdown produced $9 billion in budget gaps, cuts to worthy programs, and elimination of thousands of state jobs.  Just like in household after household, and business after business, we in state government have had to make do with less, to improvise and innovate, to work harder.  But because we made it personal, because we understood that a better, stronger Commonwealth would lift us all up, we kept going.

The toll this global economic crisis has taken on people here at home has only served to make me even more determined.  I meet people every day, and I see the anxiety in their faces.  I hear their stories of lost jobs or lost homes, of lost retirement accounts or lost hope.  I know they are stressed not just for themselves, but because there are still kids to be educated and parents to be cared for.  I met a grandmother at the Career Center in Lynn this month who told me about moving her son and daughter and their kids, 9 of them strong, into her home because they're out of work and strapped for cash.  Now she has lost her job.  She's not asking for much, just a chance to work to provide for her family, and a little help holding on until she can make her own way.  Meanwhile, like so many other citizens, she is feeling powerless against forces beyond her control.  This is not the American Dream she counted on.  And it is not the American Dream we will accept.

So for her, for every other striver who aches for a better, stronger Commonwealth, we kept faith with our vision and kept going.  Too fast for some, not fast enough for others, learning from our mistakes as well as from our triumphs, but always forward.  Without ever losing sight of who we are working for.

And so, working together, we closed that $9 billion budget gap and delivered a third consecutive budget that was responsible, balanced and on time – which is not something that many other states can say.  But we also worked to understand and address the impact that each cut would have on the people who depended on the program, and to deliver the service in better and more efficient ways.  We made it personal.

To create jobs, we leveraged our world-class universities and health care institutions, making investments in biotech, life sciences and green technology so that the people of Massachusetts would have opportunities in the innovation economy of tomorrow.  But we also went to work every day calling individual business leaders about locating or expanding here, working out ways to help them prosper and create jobs - 10, 50, 200 at a time, making sure the workforce was trained, and extending unemployment and health care benefits to help families hold it together in the short run.  We made it personal.

We did the hard work – the hard work – of implementing health care reform so that now nearly every man, woman and child in the Commonwealth has reliable health insurance, and we are a model for the Nation.  But because we know many families and small businesses are struggling to afford the premiums they pay, we went to work to drive down costs, hauling insurance companies into public hearings to explain why premiums keep going up when everything else is coming down.  We made it personal.

In a time of dwindling state revenue, we funded public schools at the highest level in history.  In the budget I file next week, I will propose to do it again by fully funding the education budget through Chapter 70 next year, so that no school will see a cut in state support.  But because schools need innovation as well as money in order to be great, we made law and history this week by signing an education reform bill that will put a great school within reach of every child in every corner of this Commonwealth.  We made it personal.  Thank you.

We did all of that and more this past year. And I want to thank you.  I want to thank President Murray, Speaker DeLeo and each member of this Senate and House, for their willingness to work with us, frequently across Party lines, and take the tough votes that will make a better, stronger Commonwealth.

I also want to thank the members of the Cabinet and their teams for your creativity and tenacity, and the state workers who – despite furloughs and contract concessions, pay freezes and increased health care contributions – go to work every day trying to do right by the people we serve.

Change is never easy and rarely quick.  Woodrow Wilson once said, "If you want to make enemies, try to change something."  And Lord knows he was right!  But it is worthy.  It’s worthy.  Because we are together building the foundation for a better, stronger Commonwealth.

And I ask you, don't just take my word for it. Here are some facts:

For the first time in twenty years, more people are moving into our state than are moving out.

Business confidence has improved 9 of the last 10 months, which means more investment and more jobs ahead.

Home sales are up for the fifth consecutive month - 59% in the month of November alone.

All three national rating agencies have affirmed the state's AA credit rating and stable outlook for the future, expressly citing our successful management of this fiscal crisis.

Massachusetts is one of the few states in the country able to access the bond markets to fund our student loan program.

We are first in the Nation in student achievement for the third straight year and first in the Nation in health care coverage for our residents, with over 97 percent insured.

Our clean and alternative energy initiatives set national standards.  We will increase wind power 10-fold and solar power 15-fold by next year, and in the solar industry we have already more than doubled the number of jobs and quadrupled the number of companies.

But still, still, people sometimes ask: What does all this mean for them?

Well, a good credit rating means that we can do construction projects like Assembly Square in Somerville, or the Appleton Mills redevelopment in Lowell, or the Route 7 improvements in Pittsfield, or the Route 24 ramp in Fall River, and on and on and on.  Projects that put people to work now, create other jobs shortly, and improve the quality of life for years.  It means people like R. Evans Stewart can get a state-subsidized student loan to help his grandson pursue his dreams at Western New England College.  That’s what it means.
Implementing health reform well means peace of mind for people like Jaclyn Michalos from Norwell, who would not have had her breast cancer diagnosed and successfully treated without access to affordable care.  It means finding a cost effective way to cover over 26,000 immigrants who live and work here legally and pay taxes into the system.

Simplifying the transportation network and abolishing the Turnpike Authority means we saved taxpayers a quarter billion dollars and can put toll and T fare hikes off a little while, while we focus on better service for commuters.

Holding the line on funding for schools or passing the ed reform bill means the kids I meet in Arlington or East Boston High Schools, or the South Middle School in Brockton, or the University Park Campus School in Worcester, or the Walsh School in Framingham, or the poor and special needs kids I carry around in my heart, will get the chance I got to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Let me tell you what it means.

Investing in clean and alternative energy, or the life sciences and biotech, means Dan Leary, an Iraq War vet, can hire more people at his solar installation company in North Andover (I think he's up to 45 so far); and Randy Moquin can get trained, get off unemployment and go to work as an energy auditor out in Springfield; and Josh Hamilton can build a Center for Regenerative Medicine in Woods Hole and start to transform the future of human health.

Investing in infrastructure means that, now and even moreso in the coming spring construction season, new bridges will be built; exit ramps and roads are being restored; broadband cable is being laid under 1-91; stations, office parks, medical research buildings, parking garages are all going up – investments that put people to work today and become the economic enabler of tomorrow.

And ending the abuse in the state pension system and tightening the ethics and lobbying rules means that people can trust that state government is focused again on their business and not personal gain.

Governing for people, the ways your government can help you help yourselves, is why we come to work every day. By investing in people, by making it personal, we are building a better, stronger Commonwealth for all of us.

I know there's much more work to do. And I will not be satisfied until it's done.

Unemployment, even with the disappointing numbers released today, is not as high here as the national average, but I will not be satisfied until we have put all our people back to work.

More people than ever are insured, but I will not be satisfied until the cost of health insurance is lower, especially for small businesses and working families.

I will not be satisfied until CORl and sentencing reform are enacted into law and we start getting as smart on crime as we are tough.

We, all of us, have worked together to give local communities new tools to cut costs and raise revenues, to regionalize more municipal services.  But I will not be satisfied until we find a way to bring property taxes down.

I will not be satisfied until we have reshaped and reinvented state government itself, consolidated more agencies and wrung out of them every inefficiency.

That must be our agenda and I will not be satisfied until it's finished. And neither should you.

These are each of them tough issues, I know that.  But you ought to know by now – friends one and all – you should know, my friends, not to doubt my resolve or my determination.  I hear the detractors who fiercely or passively defend the status quo. I hear the challengers pressing to return to old, familiar ways, even policies that failed us in the past.  But I also hear a public deeply frustrated with the pace of change, who need a little help from us right now so they can help themselves.  Our job is to be leaders for them.  To stand up and make the hard decisions that are necessary to build a better, stronger Commonwealth. We must make it personal.

To the people of the Commonwealth, above all, especially those whose lives have been turned upside down by this economy, you are not powerless. And you are not alone.

If we here work together and creatively, we can make a difference where it matters, not on our resumes but in your lives.  We have shown we can do this with historic reforms already, and we must redouble our efforts.

We will do our part.  Now you must also do yours.

Be angry - but channel it in a positive direction. It's easy to be against things. It takes tough-mindedness and courage to be for something.

In Massachusetts, at our best, we are for each other, we are about seeing our stake in our neighbors' dreams and struggles as well as our own.

And I know some kids who understand this especially well.

The high school in Brockton, Massachusetts is the largest in our Commonwealth.  4,100 young people go to that school.  Sixty-four percent are on the free lunch program.  For nearly half of them, English is a second language.  I visited the school last spring to announce some of the federal stimulus funding for education and arranged to meet beforehand with parents of special needs students.
I sat with about a dozen of these parents in the school library, surrounded by members of the student council who had come to observe.  And at first we talked about programs and policies and information, but the conversation got personal, when one mother asked me, she said: “Governor, imagine what it is like to have a child in school who has no friends.”

And as a parent, the comment was searing. Her child's learning issues were so profound that other kids just shunned him.

And at that point, one of the student council members raised her hand and said, "I want to be your child's buddy, right here in the high school." It was a beautiful and spontaneous thing.

Another parent then said her child had similar issues but wasn’t in that school.  Which prompted another student to raise her hand and say, "Why don't we have a program where high school students can be buddies for special needs kids in whatever Brockton school they attend?"

The superintendent was there and had a natural reaction in these times: he began to worry aloud about how, in these times of scarce resources, he could possibly pay for such a program.  To which another student replied, "We don't have to be paid. This is our community." His message was plain and powerful: "If there is a need, send me."

That program now has a name, the Boxer Buddies, it’s going strong, and I want to acknowledge the Buddies who are here tonight.  I am so proud of you.

The point is this. In a city as hard hit as any by the economic crisis, these young people did not sit around wondering and worrying what to do and who was going to do it.  They didn’t accept that they were powerless.  They saw a need and met it, and found power in service itself.  And through that not only have they inspired me and many others, but they have built a better, stronger Commonwealth.
Brick by brick. Block by block. Neighborhood by neighborhood. Town by town.  That is what each of us must do.  That is who each of us must be.  That is the opportunity this crisis presents.  If we seize it, I am certain our best days lie ahead.

Thank you everybody.  God bless you all and God bless the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.


You can also view this on the Gov's website here


Governor promises no cuts to local aid or school funding



Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:







via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 1/21/10

Gov. Deval Patrick tonight will promise to maintain current levels of local aid and Chapter 70 pubic school funding in his State of the Commonwealth address, to air at 7:30 p.m. on Boston TV stations.
A summary of Patrick's planned speech, released by the governor's office just after 5 today, said Patrick will:
- highlight job creation, economic development, education and health care "as the key drivers to building a better future" for the state;
- will announce that "despite the tough budget situation, there will be no cuts to local aid and Chapter 70 public school funding";
- will address the impact of the global economic crisis is having on people in the state and "let them know in very direct ways that we are here to help";
and  will touch on what state government and the citizens of Massachusetts have accomplished.
In addition, the governor "will admit that there have been bumps in the road, some of our own making and that he is learning from our mistakes as well as our triumphs," the statement from Patrick's office said.
The speech airs at 7:30 Thursday night on WCVB, WHDH, and NECN.



Things you can do from here:



Sunday, November 15, 2009

Can the Governor sing?

Can the Governor sing?



Yes, he can. Apparently, when he stopped by the Franklin Senior Center recently he joined in song with some of Franklin's finest seniors.

On the same day that he visited the Senior Center, Gov Patrick stopped by Jefferson Elementary School. The public address announcement to the school that the Governor made while there was recorded.



More on the Governor's visit can be found here

Regionalization

Regionalization, a dirty word for some but one of the realistic ways to tackle the issue of providing appropriate services at a reasonable cost is the topic of the video.



There is a new Regional Advisory Commission underway to explore opportunities in this area.



Saturday, November 7, 2009

In the News - Gov Patrick visits Franklin, casino night

Gov Patrick visited Jefferson Elementary School yesterday



Patrick visits Franklin school, says he supports local aid



Franklin honors 90-year-old vets



and hold the date for the FEF Casino Night, Nov 20th


Franklin Education Foundation plans Casino Night


Friday, October 30, 2009

Gov Patrick on the state budget cuts

Franklin appears to be dodging reductions in State Aid as Chapter 70 and local aid are referenced in this video by Governor Patrick.





Friday, August 21, 2009

Farmers Market Week

I hope you made a visit to the Framers Market on the Town Common this week. News from Governor Patrick's office is that he has declared this week "Farmers Market Week":
Farmers’ Market Week: Governor Deval Patrick has proclaimed the week of August 16 -22 Farmers’ Market Week, saying that these markets are “essential to the vitality of Massachusetts farms.” Farmers markets have continued to grow around the Commonwealth nearly doubling in size over the last decade. Events will be taking place all over the state during this week. Read more in the Eagle Tribune, Arlington Advocate and the Hingham Journal.

From the Governors web page here

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Next steps in Education Reform

Governor Deval Patrick announced two new pieces of legislation to take the next steps in education reform. This video summarizes his announcement.






To learn more about the legislation, please view the fact sheet, the Readiness Schools legislation and the Charter School "Smart Cap" legislation.

To learn more about the Commonwealth Readiness project and watch the rollout and read their final report.

Visit the original information on the Governor's page here.


Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Monday, June 1, 2009

Gov Patrick continues the discussion

BOSTON – Thursday, May 28, 2009 –
Governor Deval Patrick today launched an online community forum, inviting citizens to continue the conversation started during the administration’s series of statewide community forums about the choices and priorities facing the Commonwealth in the current economic climate.

Available at www.mass.gov/forum, the forum presents the public with a unique opportunity to share their ideas about the state’s budget challenges as well as the transportation, pension and ethics reform proposals currently being debated on Beacon Hill. Over the next two weeks, Governor Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Murray and senior administration officials will be online at various times, reading suggestions, answering questions and contributing to the dialogue.

“We need the collective wisdom of all the people in the Commonwealth to tackle the budget challenges and reform opportunities facing us at this critical moment,” said Governor Patrick. “This online forum allows us to continue the conversation we started during the community forums and capture those great ideas – your ideas – that will help get us through to a better tomorrow.”

Governor Patrick has selected UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack to serve as the forum’s “Citizen Moderator.” Chancellor MacCormack will work with the Governor’s Office to help facilitate the online conversation and ensure all ideas are heard. At the conclusion of the discussion, Chancellor MacCormack will select from forum participants to assemble a Citizen Task Force. The Task Force will be responsible for compiling ideas, insights and recommendations shared throughout the forum and presenting a report to the Governor.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for citizens to participate in a meaningful dialogue about the future of our Commonwealth,’’ Chancellor MacCormack said. “My primary responsibility as moderator will be to ensure that everyone with a big idea has a voice, and that we work together to help solve some of the major challenges facing the Commonwealth. I look forward to hearing everyone’s ideas.”

In addition to the more than 30 community forums the Governor and members of his administration held throughout the month of May, he kicked off a series of summer town hall meetings in Dennis on Tuesday. The meetings are open to the public, giving residents a chance to talk directly to Governor Patrick about issues they care about most, including the economy, the state’s budget challenges, and the Governor’s efforts to push for reforms on Beacon Hill. For a full schedule and more information, visit www.mass.gov/governor/townhall.

Originally posted on the Governor's web site

Sunday, May 24, 2009

FM #39-11 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 11 - Final

This recording for Franklin Matters is the eleventh and final part of the special series to replay the discussion at the Franklin Senior Center on May 17 when Governor Deval Patrick conducted his Town Hall Forum.

Time: 7 minutes, 11 seconds



MP3 File

FM #39-10 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 10

FM #39-9 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 9

FM #39-8 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 8

FM #39-7 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 7

FM #39-6 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 6

FM #39-5 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 5

FM #39-4 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 4

FM #39-3 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 3

FM #39-2 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 2

FM #39-1 Gov Patrick Town Hall - Part 1


Session Notes:


Music intro
My intro
FM #39-11

This internet radio show or podcast for Franklin Matters is number 39-11 in the series.

This segment of the Town Hall Forum conducted by Governor Deval Patrick at the Franklin Senior center on Sunday May 17th continues the second round of Q&A with

unidentified person, moved from Maryland in 1983,

Gov Patrick thinks aggregation of services should be explored, the solution may not the same for every service – then goes into a quick closing comment


I hope you have learned something from listening to one or more of these segments. I have found them very insightful.

here we go

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This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow citizens of Franklin, MA

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music